Thursday, May 26, 2016

NPA rebels seized 18 guns in raid

From the Visayan Daily Star (May 26): NPA rebels seized 18 guns in raid

The Roselyn Pelle Command of the New People's Army has disputed military and police claims that what they had raided and overran were bunkhouses of agrarian reform beneficiaries in Sitio Buntod Aliwanay, Brgy. General Luna, Sagay City, and maintained that it was a “detachment “ of the Special Civilian Armed Auxilliary of the Philippine Army.

In a statement furnished to the Visayan DAILY STAR, rebel spokesperson Cecil Estrella, said the raid against the “SCAA detachment” on May 22 led to the killing of Jose Pios and Dionesio Ybanez, who, she claimed, were SCAA members, and injuries to Jovito Lutrago and Boboy Respundo.

Estrella said they also burned several bunk houses and recovered 18 firearms, including M-16 and M-14 rifles, a M-79 grenade launcher, Ingram sub-machine gun, .45 caliber pistols, 357 revolver and several homemade guns, as well as assorted ammunition, military uniforms, personal belongings, among others.

She claimed that they received numerous complaints from the populace against the presence of SCAA detachment, with personnel allegedly being used as armed goons, and guards of a private property owner in the place.

Senior Supt. William Señoron, provincial police director of Negros Occidental, yesterday maintained that Pios and Ybanez are agrarian reform beneficiaries, who used to be SCAA members.

Contrary to the rebel claims, Señoron said only four firearms, including an M-16 rifle, a carbine rifle and two .45 caliber pistols, were taken by the NPA, based on the investigations of the Sagay City Police Station.

Investigations by the Sagay police also showed that SCAA members Sonny Respondo and Alex Garcia, who were off-duty, and members of the Regional Public Safety Battalion 18, had responded to the incident and engaged the suspected NPA rebels in a brief firefight.

Respondo, 38, was injured, while Garcia was taken by the rebels. Also injured during the raid was Jodito Lutrago, an agrarian reform beneficiary and a member of the ronda patrol, Chief Inspector Eduardo Corpuz, Sagay City police chief said.

Estrella said they successfully overran the detachment, being occupied by 10 SCAA members, after five minutes of firefight. Two were killed, while others surrendered, she added.

Señoron said the three firearms taken from Pios and Ybanez may have been acquired by the victims, after their military services were terminated several years ago, to protect themselves from death threats of the NPA.

Police investigation showed that agrarian reform beneficiaries in the barangay have formed the Aliwanay Farmers Association to protect themselves, as the property awarded to them by the Department of Agrarian Reform is slowly being encroached on by members of the National Federation of Sugarcane Workers, who are also claiming to be agrarian reform beneficiaries.

Estrella said the raid at the SCAA detachment was meant to punish the Marañon family for allegedly maintaining armed goons.

She identified Pios, Jovito and Jonathan Lutrago, Rechie Robles Sr. Raco Pedrano and Mario Jusayan as among those listed in the NPA order of battle.

Estrella meanwhile said they released Garcia and SCAA Joemar Mahilum, whom they had arrested during the raid, because they have no criminal records.

http://www.visayandailystar.com/2016/May/26/topstory5.htm

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